Sunday, August 30, 2009

Fast Find: Black Stud Skirt

Black stud skirt 
Studded faux-denim pencil skirt, £25 ($40), Dorothy Perkins. Through US size 20.

I am loving the edgy biker look this season! And, even more, I like taking one of those pieces and softening it up. Here's what I'd pair it with:

Ruffle-neck shell (in champagne), $80, Banana Republic. Through size 16. Tuck it in!

Missoni knit platform pump, $510, Piperlime   

OR, BECAUSE I'M POOR...
Risky Business almond-toe pump, $85, Piperlime


Spotlight: Lizzi Miller

I'm sure, by now, many of you have seen this picture in the September issue of Glamour. It's not on the cover, it's not in the spread, and it's not even in the front of the magazine--but it's causing one hell of a stir. Meet Lizzi:
0814-lizzie-miller_vg.jpg
This picture of 20 year old model Lizzi Miller can be found on p. 194 in the article "What Everyone But You Sees About Your Body." Says Editor in Chief Cindi Leive, "we'd commissioned a story on feeling comfortable in your skin, and I wanted a model who looked like she was."

The article focuses on the sexiness we exude but don't notice, the beauty we overlook in our own bodies because we're too busy bashing ourselves. It offers advice on how to appreciate ourselves from experts who look at women's bodies all day (Read the full article here):

When you focus on the body parts you love, your ‘flaws’ fade away.”

—Madame Athena Chang, portrait photographer

“Self-consciousness is getting in the way of your pleasure.”

—Jennifer Phillips, certified massage therapist

“We have curves for a reason.”

—Sue Baelen, licensed midwife

But it wasn't the article that caused a commotion, prompting responses and interviews like the one below. It was the picture: just a woman sitting in her underwear, smiling. Back in April Lizzi appeared in Glamour in her skivvies as well, but that picture did not nearly cause as much of a stir.

If you'll notice, this picture from April seemed to "hide" the little tummy roll that remains exposed in the newest picture, and I believe that's what makes all the difference. Though April's picture showed a confident plus-size beauty, this month's picture reveals something that everyone has but dares not speak of: a flaw. Yes, that teeny tiny flap of skin has made all the difference, empowering thousands of women and compelling them to speak out in support of this honest and un-airbrushed depiction. 

Finally, women are calling for healthy and realistic counterparts in magazines and fashion shows, refusing to accept that only thin=beautiful. And Lizzi is very candid about her views on this subject: "I just think there needs to be more representation for women who don't fit into the 'norm' of the size 2." Lizzi's only 20, but having been a model for over 6 years, she knows all about body image and pressure to conform. "I'm not saying that a size 2 isn't 'normal,' but this is my normal. I'm healthy, I work out, I lead a healthy lifestyle, and this is how I look. And I embrace it." 

At 180lbs and an admitted size 12-14, Lizzi is a softball player and belly dancer who likes to exercise "when it's fun." She says about growing up chubby: "When I was young I really struggled with my body and how it looked because I didn't understand why my friends were so effortlessly skinny. As I got older I realized that everyone's body is different and not everyone is skinny naturally--me included! I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn't perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it's not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too."

Watch Lizzi and Cindi's interview on The Today Show and get involved in the debate!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Special Edition: College Discounts at ULTA



Visit an ULTA  near you on Tuesday, September 1st and enjoy exclusive offers for college students only! 
• Smashbox Cosmetics: 20% off
• Bare Escentuals Get Started Kits (all shades): 20% off
• Harajukku Lovers Fragrance: 50% off
• TIGI Brand Professional Haircare: 25% off
• Pro Nail Products: 25% off
• Chi Flat Iron Style GF 1001: $99.95
• Maybelline: 25% off on all Maybelline mascara, eye shadows & liners
• Neutrogena: 25% off on Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation, concealers & powders
• ULTA Salon: $20.00 Haircut

Show your current college ID on Tuesday, September 1st and every first Tuesday of each month to receive the exclusive college day offers listed above! 

We Love Colors, Yes We Do

We Love Colors offers solid tights in over 51 colors for ladies up to 330lbs! They've also got footless, patterned, striped and fishnets for their curvier clientel. Perfect for accessorizing this fall. Check it out:



Sunday, August 23, 2009

Fall Must-Haves

I came across these items while doing some of my fall 2009 shopping, and I immediately put them on my must-have list! They're some great staples for putting together any look this season:


Black patent stud belt, $20, Torrid. Pair with dress or high-waisted skirt to make the look a little edgier.



Black Side-Slash Legging SKU: 526748Black Side-Zip Leggings SKU: 546497Black Lamé Zipper Cuff Leggings SKU: 554267Silver Lamé Leggings SKU: 534391Black Capri Leggings SKU: 545024Matte Black Snake Print Leggings SKU: 589180
Assorted leggings beginning at $20, Torrid, through size 26/28. Here's a great blog entry from Bahrain Poise on how to wear leggings this fall: Leggings.

Diane Von Furstenberg Hayworth Clutch, $395, Diane Von Furstenberg



Leather zip jacket, $199, oldnavy.com, sizes 16/18-20/22. This is such a versatile piece--you can pair it with nearly anything (wear it with something super frilly and feminine to make the look a little edgier, wear it with a pair of boots to achieve the oh-so-in biker look, or style it simple with a basic denim pant and tee)!



Thigh-high suede boot, $110, piperlime.com. Are you daring enough to try this trend? It's not just for the Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman-type, either. Any woman can wear them. If you're not sure how to wear them with an outfit, a simple belted dress is always a great choice (just don't pair them with anything made of fishnet or lycra!).



Cream/black shift dress, £35 ($57), Dorothy Perkins, through US size 20. Nuff said.


Melie Bianco diagonal stitch tote, $79, piperlime.com.



L.A.M.B. open toe ankle boot, $345, piperlime.com. These are a really versatile pair of shoes that can be worn with denim or dresses, day or night--be creative!



Dark denim pencil skirt, $29.50, Old Navy, through size 20. Classic. A staple piece to pair with all those trendy items you purchase.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Get Skinny or Else!

"We have to be very sensitive and understanding when we tackle America's obesity problem," says Dr. Robert Kushner, Clinical director of Northwestern University's Comprehensive Center on Obesity. "We don't want to stigmatize people and we don't want to make people feel it's their fault."

But in pointing fingers and proclaiming that YOU are different, YOU are unacceptable, isn't that ultimately stigmatizing and scapegoating? 

Kushner declares that fighting obesity will be a key component of health care reform in an attempt to "get a handle on the health care costs of this country." He, and many others like him, claim that 'overweight' men and women are a drain on the health care system and a burden to society at large. 

Does being fat, however, necessarily equate with being unhealthy? The answer: NO, except in the most extreme circumstances. Weight is an aesthetic, a means of physically identifying and measuring a person's level of attractiveness, but it is certainly not a health barometer. If you're too fat to roll yourself out of bed in the morning, or if your legs are too heavy to be lifted into a consistent stride, you're probably unhealthy. But if you're a size 22 and you can move your body and work it(!), there is nothing unhealthy about you.

Certain health officials would have you believe that being fat is a serious risk for certain factors such as diabetes or heart disease, but where is the proof? There is no scientific evidence directly linking weight with any of these illnesses. In fact, research done by the American Heart Association found that fatter cardiac patients were more likely to survive hospital visits or invasive treatments than their thinner counterparts, even when considering age and other contributing factors. 

Dr. Paul Ernsberger, of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in ClevelandOhio, led a review of nearly 400 studies that was published in the Journal of Obesity and Weight Regulation in 1987 which corroborated these results. “The idea that fat strains the heart has no scientific basis,” he said. “As far as I can tell, the idea comes from diet books, not scientific books. Unfortunately, some doctors read diet books.” In April 2006, researchers at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported their clinical study of 14,739 patients with coronary artery disease, that had been confirmed on tomography, who were followed for over three years. They found that “obese” and “overweight” patients were at significantly lower risks for cardiac death than “normal” weight patients.

Though it has not been proven that being overweight can produce negative health effects, is hasbeen proven that fat can protect against infections, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, osteoporosis, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. As fat blogger Kate Harding points out, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle do cause health problems for individuals, both thin and fat, being overweight is not synonymous with an debilitating lifestyle. Nurse Sandy Szwarc, who authors the Junkfood Science blog, explains it best when she discusses the media's ceaseless efforts to link our weight, favorite foods, and lifestyles to one horrible disease or other. Says Szwarc: 
Epidemiological (observational) studies - which use computer models to dredge through information on a group of people to find correlations - are most rife with misinterpreted statistics, errors, and biases, and are most easily manipulated to arrive at whatever conclusions researchers set out to find... No matter how popular, impressive or intuitively correct it might seem, a correlation to a disease is not evidence that it's the cause. 
I'll say it again: A CORRELATION TO A DISEASE IS NOT EVIDENCE THAT IT'S THE CAUSE. I.e. an arbitrary, computer-generated correlation between obesity and heart disease DOES NOT indicate that obesity is the cause of heart disease. 

Kate Harding also brings up a very valid point: there are fat people who eat well, exercise often, and still remain "fat." There are diseases that cause a weight gain in previously healthy people. Genetics, hormones, stress, etc. are all huge contributing factors to a person's weight, so it is impossible to pinpoint ONE cause--say, that a person is eating too much; therefore, it is impossible to come up with any one solution--PUT DOWN THE BURGER AND GET ON A TREADMILL.

I spent the better part of my childhood convinced that I was overweight because it was a character flaw, that I just wasn't trying hard enough, until I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome at 17. And even at my healthiest weight (5'3", 145 lbs, size 7 jeans), when I could run a 10 minute mile and do a standing half split like nobody's business, the BMI charts still told me I was overweight and in danger. Today the BMI is finally being recognized as an unrealistic and often implausible measure of health; Aveen Bannon of the Dublin Nutrition Centre said that it can be used as a rough guide, but it can often be inaccurate. "For example," she says," a rugby player, who has a strong build made up of heavy muscle, will always have a high BMI and fall into the overweight category." Bannon says that she has also seen cases where a person's BMI was low, but they had a high amount of body fat.

For me, I've decided that as long as I'm healthy and happy it doesn't matter how much I weigh. But not everyone feels this way. Centers for disease control and prevention say obesity leads to $147 billion dollars per year in medical costs, and it looks as though weight loss will become something of a federal mandate. They want to focus on "preventative care" rather than "illness care," but can obesity really be considered an illness? Dr. Kushner is insisting that obesity interferes with work productivity and quality of life, but the last time I checked my BMI of 39 is not keeping me from shuffling my paperwork or lounging on the beach. And you know, I don't want to be "tackled" by the health care system, because I don't feel obligated to lose a goddamn pound. I don't have heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, and I don't have a problem with the way I look. If there is a problem here, it's not with me. Get out of my kitchen, back off my body, and go "tackle" a real issue!

Take a look at this dialog between Fat Blogger Kate Harding and Dr. Kushner and tell me what you think:

Friday, August 14, 2009

Plus Size Jewelry by Emitations

Big girls need to accessorize too, and Emitations has some fabulous choices in rings, bracelets and necklaces in extended sizes! Keep in mind that some of the biggest trends for the Fall '09 season are Russian Folklore, Biker Chic, hoop earrings, chains, statement necklaces/other pieces, bold colors and nature-inspired items. Check out some of my favorites, all available on the website:

Rings (the second one is perfectly reminiscent of Kate Spade's '09 faux pearl ring):
Kenna's Adjustable Heart Petal Black Flower Cocktail RingGypsy's Faux Pearl & CZ Charm RingNadine's Gold Plated CZ Snake RingAthena's Fleur De Lis CZ Antique RingBella's Engagement Ring- GoldWonderland Blue Enamel RingJackie's CZ Skull RingLissy's Canary CZ Flower Cocktail Ring

Necklaces:
Lee's Bead Fringe Necklace - NeutralSilver Cable Link Chain - 16" (3.7 mm)Lucita's Champagne CZ NecklaceMasar's Braided Metal Snake Necklace & Earrings Set- GoldAlgerian Love Knot Necklace - PETITETatania's Clear Necklace with Swarovski CrystalAnita's Gold Chain NecklaceLarkin Leaf Break-Up Necklace

Bracelets:
Barbara's Boho Stretch BraceletJasmine's Snake Print Link BraceletHunter's Stretch Spike BraceletMala's Gold Bangle Bracelet Set